Under the Tree
by madsthenerdygirl
Summary: Beckett has a special present for Castle. Mainly Caskett but Esplanie cameo!


**Title: Under the Tree**

**Summary: Beckett has a special present for Castle. Mainly Caskett but Esplanie cameo!**

**Rating: M for, that's right, you guessed it – smut!**

**Disclaimer: Now let me see… do I own a massive house in LA? Nope. Are Castle and Beckett together? Nope. Have Lanie and Esposito gotten back together? Nope. Gee, I must not own these guys!**

**Author's Note: Blame chezchuckles, whose story "Advent" I am currently hooked on, but I just had to do a Christmas-themed Caskett smut. Hey; some people put up Christmas lights, I write smut. I tied it in with the upcoming episode "Cuffed" – which looks so fantastic I can hardly wait!**

_She woke up with her head resting on his shoulder, nestled snugly against him. One of his arms was around her, and she just felt so warm and safe, she never wanted to leave._

_But then she'd inhaled his scent, the smell that drove her to distraction whenever he was near, and she sat up. As she did so, she realized that waking up in Castle's arms was the least of her worries. They were on a mattress, in a dark room, and they were… handcuffed to each other?_

"_Don't get up yet." Castle's sleepy mumble made her look over at him. He looked so peaceful, his handsome face calm and serene. She allowed herself a selfish moment to just gaze at him, his solid jaw, studious forehead, floppy hair that she'd always longed to run her fingers though…_

_Then she remembered their present situation, and then, she realized that their present situation was the only thing that she remembered._

"_Castle… Castle, wake up!"_

_He awoke with a start, his eyes wide as he took in his surroundings. She pretended she didn't see the look that had come into his eyes for a fraction of a second, the look of joy upon waking up and seeing her face._

"What happened after that?" Her therapist asked.

Beckett explained how she and Castle had tried to recover their memories, realizing they had been drugged, had confrontations with the silent people holding them captive, realized someone else was with them and tried to communicate and escape by turns…

All in all, it had been a nerve-shredding, mind-numbing, exhausting case.

"The thing is…" Beckett paused. She was becoming more forthright with her therapist, as she tried desperately to move forward from her mother's murder, but she still wouldn't win any prizes for sharing her feelings.

Her therapist looked at her calmly but encouragingly. He'd always let Beckett be the one to take the steps, coaxing her along but never initiating or pushing. She appreciated it, and reminded herself to thank him at some point.

"When I first woke up, before I realized what was going on… I… I felt…" Beckett was speaking hesitantly, almost haltingly. She'd been doing a lot of that lately.

"I felt happy. Just, just so happy, and content, and…" Beckett refused to cry. Not when she'd spent roughly half of her sessions blubbering. "It felt right. I felt whole."

Her therapist gazed at her a moment before nodding slightly. That was another thing Beckett appreciated – he didn't take notes and spend all of his time writing things down and analyzing her. When they had their sessions, it was just him and Beckett, working things out.

"You've mentioned that you have feelings for this person." He said.

Beckett hesitated before nodding. She moved her hand up to tuck her hair behind her ear, surprised when there wasn't any. Then she remembered she'd put it in a bun today. Her hair styles and clothing choices were as erratic as her speech patterns.

"I… love him." She said it slowly.

As a reward for admitting her feelings, she received a warm glow of approval from her therapist. He never smiled, but his eyes spoke volumes.

"And you know that he loves you as well."

Beckett nodded. "I kind of knew before, but then he told me and… well, that kind of removed all doubt."

Guess there's nothing like watching your partner die to make you admit your feelings.

"Do you think that maybe, now you're comfortable enough with the idea of that love to act upon it?" He asked her.

Beckett considered this. In a former session her therapist had suggested that one of the reasons she didn't admit the truth to Castle was that the idea of love scared her. Maybe not friendship love, like the kind she had with Lanie and the boys, but romantic or familial love. Goodness knew she wasn't as in touch with her father as she should be.

While she was still scared, scared of losing the one person she'd grown to love above all others, terrified that he'd be snatched away from her leaving her open and raw, Beckett was tired of running. She was tired of hiding. And when she thought upon how she'd felt, just so whole and normal and good, waking up next to him…

"I think… I think I am."

"Then I suggest you tell him."

Beckett looked up from where she'd been examining her fingers. Her therapist sat there, as calm and collected and steady as ever. His steadiness, his calm, reminded her of a rock. This in turn reminded her of someone else, someone who'd been her steadying rock from the beginning – despite his crazy antics.

"I think I will."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Castle threw great parties; everyone could agree on that. And while his holiday party couldn't compare to his Halloween bash (but then, what could?), it was still a Castle party, and that made it a great party.

Because of their schedules and some crazy weather, Castle's party was on Christmas Eve. His loft was decorated beautifully, with a fire roaring away in the fireplace, stockings hung, a massive Christmas tree and more holiday baked goods then even Ryan and Esposito could scarf down.

Speaking of Esposito, the highlight of the evening was definitely when he and Lanie, having had a couple glasses of liquid courage, engaged in a shouting match that would put to shame any other ex-couple's attempts at embarrassing everyone else in their vicinity. The fun part, however, had been when they'd realized they were having their argument under the mistletoe. When the make-out session had passed the five-minute mark, they vanished and were not seen by anyone else for the rest of the party.

At around eleven everyone started to trickle home. Christmas was the next morning and between the weather and the presents, everyone wanted to get home. Soon only Beckett, Ryan and Jenny were left. Alexis had fallen asleep, despite valiant efforts, at around eleven thirty and was carried gently up to bed by Castle. Martha had departed much earlier in the evening to make the rounds at various other parties she'd been invited to. There was no doubt she'd return early Christmas morning with a hangover for a present.

Ryan and Jenny bid their adieus, and then it was only Castle and Beckett. Castle began cleaning up from the night's festivities, and Beckett couldn't help but stand in front of the fire and watch him. He was just so handsome, and fun, and…

"Beckett? Want to lend a hand here?"

…and couldn't do a damn thing without roping her into it, too.

Beckett summoned her courage. She'd had only one glass of wine tonight, as she'd wanted to stay sober for what she was going to do, but now she was wishing she had a little more of that liquid courage Lanie and Esposito had consumed.

Speaking of which, she hoped they weren't lurking around somewhere.

"Actually, Castle, I was hoping you'd join me at the tree." Beckett said.

He literally perked up. He was such a puppy sometimes.

Castle joined her by the massive tree – it was at least eight feet tall – which was piled with presents underneath. The look on his face was so eager and happy that Beckett's breath caught in her throat.

"I, uh… I have a…" All language skills appeared to have suddenly abandoned ship. "I have an early Christmas present for you."

Castle grinned. "Ooh, am I finally allowed to carry a gun now? Or are you going to tell me that Gates has resigned?"

Beckett had to bite back her own grin. She didn't fail to notice how Castle's eyes zoomed in on her lips. She swallowed hard. "Actually, it's a two-part present. I'm not sure if you'll like the first part."

He immediately sobered up, catching on to the nervousness in her tone. "If it's from you, I'm sure I'll like it." He assured her.

God, she loved him.

"The first part is…" Beckett took a deep breath. Calm down, Kate; you can do this. "I remember everything."

Now that the dam had broken, the words tumbled out of her like logs rolling down a steep hill. "I remember you yelling, and the shot, and you tackling me, and then I was lying on the ground and you were begging me to stay with you… you told me you loved me and… and then next thing I remember I was in the hospital and realizing that you nearly took a bullet for me…"

She hiccupped, and tears started to flow. She realized that she'd been pointedly gazing at her own boots the entire time, so she forced herself to look up into his searing blue eyes. Surprisingly, she found no anger there. No resentment at having been lied to; no pain at having her hold back on him. Instead, she saw concern, and something shining in those blue depths that she'd come to realize was love.

"I… I knew before, but then you told me and I couldn't pretend anymore. I couldn't pretend that you didn't love me. I was so scared, scared of, of love, and of losing you, and everything and I just couldn't face it…" Beckett hiccupped again. "I'm sorry." She wiped fiercely at her face, trying to dispel the tears. "I'm such a coward."

"No." The words were said gently, but firmly. Castle stepped forward and cupped her chin, tilting it up so that she had no choice but to keep gazing into his fierce sapphire eyes. With his other hand he gently wiped away her tears, his thumb stroking her cheek soothingly. "You are the bravest, the most courageous, the strongest, person that I have ever known, Kate."

Beckett blinked and another tear fell. Once again, Castle gently wiped it away. Beckett reached up and took his hands, lowering them and holding them in hers .They were large, much larger than she remembered, and they covered hers with a warmth and steadiness that spread throughout her body, anchoring her.

"The other half I know you'll like." She said, and she couldn't help adding a teasing note in there. Castle smiled, his eyes crinkling up in the way she loved. The words came easily, much easier than she had expected.

"I love you, too."

Castle's smile grew, but before he could act the way she knew he wanted to, she closed the remaining distance between them, kissing him. She could feel his smile through the kiss, and she smiled as well.

His hand reached up and tangled in her hair while the other wrapped around her waist, pulling her to him. The red dress she'd worn – she knew he loved the color on her – rubbed against her body, creating a delicious friction. The warmth of his body pressed against hers awakened her senses, and a tingle of electricity shot through her.

Bringing her hands up, Beckett buried one in the short hair at the back of his neck while the other plucked at his collar.

"Is this a part of your present?" Castle murmured teasingly.

"Hmmm… maybe it is." Beckett whispered back hotly. Castle seized the opportunity and speared his tongue into her mouth, making her groan. They battled for dominance before she allowed him full access, and he explored her before she took her turn. He tasted so intoxicating, making heat pool in between her thighs.

The hand at her waist slipped down to grip her butt, and Beckett began to try and undo his shirt. She finally got it off, barely resisting the urge to screw the buttons and rip it off of him. Castle's hand ghosted up her back, finding her dress zipper and tugging it down. He began to kiss every bit of skin that he exposed as he peeled the dress off. Beckett had been working on undoing his pants but threw her head back when he reached her breasts.

"Castle…" She groaned, panting as she struggled to maintain her breathing. She felt him grin as he worked her nipples, tweaking one in between his forefinger and thumb while he sucked the other with his mouth.

Beckett decided he was having entirely too much fun being in control. She undid his pants with nimble fingers and pushed his pants down. She played with his sacs for a moment before taking the hard length of him in her hand, slowly stroking it. She loved his sharp intake of breath, and the way his hands gripped her hard enough to bruise.

"Shit, Kate…" She grinned. It's not often that Mr. Walking Thesaurus stoops to profanity, but the fact that he is now indicates just how much she was affecting him.

Castle pressed her against him, grinding into her a little. She couldn't help but gasp at the sensation, her breathing shallow.

"Rick…" She breathed, gripping his shoulders. "Rick, I need you in me."

The mixture of happiness at hearing her use his first name and the feral glint in his eyes made her knees buckle. Without a word, he lay her down on the floor by the tree. From their position, with the presents and the tree branches, it almost looked like they were underneath the tree itself. The twinkling lights played across Castle's face, accentuating his handsome features. Beckett felt herself smiling.

He entered her slowly, almost too slowly, and she sucked in a breath at the feel of his generous length filling her. Castle began to move, gently at first, but soon his hunger for her grew too strong and he was pumping into her with everything he had. Beckett groaned, her cheeks flushed and her head tipped back.

"Rick… Rick, I'm not going to last…" She could barely get the words out.

"I'm almost there." He whispered in her ear, sucking gently on the lobe. Beckett moaned at the sensation, raking her fingernails along his back.

The sensation must have been enough to drive him over the edge, because he came with one last, pounding thrust. It was enough to set off Beckett's orgasm, and her body was hurled over the edge in a wild, crazy descent of euphoria. Never, ever in her life had she felt so high, so good, so deliciously filled with this amazing feeling. The Christmas lights on the tree were sending a spectrum of tiny golden dots zooming and dancing across her vision, and she felt like she was suddenly floating in a place somewhere between heaven and earth, where the stars set the whole world around her ablaze with liquid gold and she could do nothing but _feel_.

"Fuck, Rick!" She screamed. She never screamed; not even during the best of her sessions had she done more than groaned. But she was screaming now, screaming his name and cursing to boot.

The cursing seemed to amuse him, as she felt his chuckle vibrate against her skin while he marked it with frantic kisses, licks and sucks. He was trembling so badly with the force of his orgasm that he could barely hold himself above her. Beckett hooked her ankle behind his leg and used a fighting move to flip him over, pinning him beneath her this time.

"Is something amusing?" She asked. She meant to sound amused but her chest was heaving and her voice came out breathy and seductive.

"It's just that I've never heard you curse before." Castle grinned up at her, his fingers toying with her locks of hair. "But I think I like it; especially that particular choice of words."

"Fuck Rick?" She teased. Castle's pupils dilated until only a burning rim of blue shown around the dark desire.

He swallowed with effort. "That would be the one."

She laughed, planting a kiss on him that quickly became heated. "Why don't we take this somewhere more private; I don't really feel like falling asleep and waking up to some awkward pauses tomorrow morning."

Castle chuckled. "That'll be one Christmas present Alexis will never get over." He stood up, watching her appreciatively as she began to pick up their clothes.

"Castle, stop ogling my ass and help me pick these up." Beckett said, trying to sound annoyed and failing miserably.

"Pardon me, Miss Beckett, but you're putting on quite a show there." He teased. Beckett finished picking up the last article of discarded clothing and only had time to turn slightly before he swept her up into his arms.

As he carried her down the hallway to his bedroom, Beckett looped her arms around him. "Like your Christmas present, Rick?" She whispered.

"Very." He growled, grinning down at her.

They made sure to lock the door, but didn't bother putting away the clothes.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Javier Esposito stirred, blinking a little as he took in his unfamiliar surroundings. He turned over and saw the chocolate angel lying next to him, and last night came back to him in a whoosh. He grinned. The lovely woman next to him lay there peacefully; her fierce, beautiful features slack as she slept.

He began planting kisses along her jaw and trailing his mouth down to her collarbone and neck, causing her to stir. Lanie Parish opened her big brown eyes slowly, smiling warmly when she saw Javier.

"Good morning, chica." He said quietly, a rumble of desire in his throat.

Her smile widened. "Mmm… Good morning, Javi."

After relocating to a more private place, Javier and Lanie had managed to settle their differences and make each other's toes curl – at the same time. Now they were basking in the morning-after glow, and they intended to take full advantage of the situation.

They were in the middle of kissing each other senseless when Lanie noticed the color of the room. "Um, Javi? When did you repaint your room?"

"I didn't." Javier responded, not pausing in his administrations to the smooth skin on Lanie's neck. "I thought we were in your room."

"Javier Esposito, when was the last time my room was blue?"

They stopped, staring at each other with wide eyes as the truth sank in.

"We didn't go back to your place, did we?" Lanie finally breathed.

As quickly and as quietly as they could, they tore out of the bed, got dressed (in their ludicrously fancy outfits from the night before) and crept out into the hallway.

All doubt was erased from their minds then.

They had made love, and slept over, in Castle's guest bedroom.

They were dead meat.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Kate Beckett was no shy schoolgirl. She was actually quite adventurous in bed – considering her buttoned-up professional demeanor. She was confident in her abilities and had tried an awful lot of things, including handcuffs… on her partner at the time, not herself. Control issues? Nah.

So it was with great joy and satisfaction (_loads_ of satisfaction) that she found Castle was just as adventurous, so to speak, as she was. He was also… well, fun. She should have expected it, really. Making love to him brought joy to her bed, just like he brought joy to everything else they did together.

And damn if he didn't make her toes curl.

She was still infused with post-sex – make that post-best-sex-of-her-life – bliss when they managed to tear themselves away from each other long enough to don bathrobes (she borrowed a spare of his) and enter the living room. Castle made breakfast while she sipped coffee at the island and watched him.

It felt so right, to be sitting there with him in the morning, watching him cook bacon and eggs and all the rest. She suddenly found herself thinking that she could get used to this, and praying that she'd get the chance to.

When Alexis came downstairs, she stared for a moment. Beckett wondered and worried about what the girl was thinking, but then Alexis flew down the stairs and barreled into Beckett, hugging her fiercely.

"Best Christmas present ever!" Alexis giggled when they'd finished hugging.

"Hey, that's my present! No sharing!" Castle teased, setting a plate piled with pancakes on the island.

"I never said it was _just_ for you, Castle." Beckett warned him. He gave her that crinkly-eyed smirk that made her knees go weak.

After breakfast and the presents were taken care of, and Alexis had settled down to reading some of the books she had received as gifts (Martha was napping on the couch), Castle dragged Beckett over to the still-hanging mistletoe for a kiss.

It was while she was wrapped up in his arms that she felt something silky and slippery against her foot. She broke off the kiss, bending down and picking up the lacy black thong at her feet.

"Forget something last night?" Castle smirked.

Beckett shook her head. "My underwear was red, and I definitely picked it up last night."

Castle stared at the panties for a moment before his eyes met Beckett's. "Oh, my, gosh!" He said eagerly. "Is this…?"

In a giddy and messy manner entirely unbefitting a hardened NYPD Detective and a sophisticated novelist, Castle and Beckett barreled up the stairs to Castle's guest bedroom, finding a discarded cuff link as they did so.

The only reason Beckett and Esposito didn't run smack into each other was because Castle pulled her back by her bathrobe tie in an attempt to get ahead of her, and therefore saved her from hitting Esposito at the last minute.

The two couples stared at one another for a moment. Lanie and Castle both had their mouths open.

"I'd suggest you hurry out now while Alexis is reading. You could have the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in front of her and she'd never notice." Castle said.

"Don't tell Ryan." Esposito begged.

"Espo, we'll talk about this tomorrow." Beckett said sternly.

As Lanie and Esposito moved to leave, Lanie grabbed Beckett's bathrobe sleeve and pulled her to the side. "Just because of this doesn't mean you're going to get out of telling me everything! Tomorrow, my lab, spill."

In response, Beckett held up the thong. Lanie snatched it from her, treating Beckett to her famous stony-faced glare.

Beckett only had time to grin at her friend before the newly-reconciled couple slipped out the door.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Castle and Beckett sat on the couch, gazing at the fire. It was around nine o'clock, and tomorrow they had to get to the precinct. They really should be getting to bed, but neither felt like moving.

Beckett snuggled in closer to Castle, inhaling his scent as she had the day they'd woken up cuffed together. Unlike that day, however, she didn't back off. She didn't hide.

"Rick?" They'd kept calling one another by their last names, but when it was just the two of them they used their first names. It made it… special. It made it sacred, almost; just something for the two of them.

"Yes, Kate?" Castle replied. His hand, which had been resting on her waist, tightened unconsciously.

"I love you." She whispered, nuzzling his neck.

"I love you too." He replied, grinning down at her. His eyes darkened as her nuzzling turned into kissing.

"I have no idea how I'm going to survive all day at the precinct tomorrow." He growled, pulling her up for a deep kiss.

As they began to pull their bathrobes off of one another, Beckett couldn't help but smile. This was better than she could have ever dreamed, and yet it all felt so normal, so right.

"Merry Christmas, Castle." She said huskily.

"Merry Christmas, Kate." He replied.

**And there you have it! My Castle Christmas special! Now I really should go take care of my Algebra – finals are coming up. However, my school semester ends Dec. 16, so you guys should be seeing a lot more writing from me to ring in the New Year! Merry Christmas everyone!**


End file.
